From the Ashes
by CrystalDaggerz
Summary: Organization XIII has been reborn, but they're forced to help an awakening part of darkness manifest in the realm of light in its own body--by using an old project of Eve's and ultimately rapturing the balance of all the worlds. AxelOC SoraKairi and more
1. Birth and Rebirth

**From the Ashes**

**Crystaldaggerz**

**Chapter One**

* * *

**A/N: **_A Kingdom Hearts fic evidently. This fic revolves around Xemnas idea that the darkness/nothingness is eternal. I'm extremely proud of how this turned out, and I hope you enjoy it as well. Make sure to watch out for the second part to ''From the Ashes'', since there will most likely be one. This chap may be vague-ish, but it is the awakening of darkness, that is a part of darkness becoming aware, conscious. :D_

**Disclaimer:** For reasons you can not prove, I now own Kingdom Hearts. lol XD, just kidding you blood thirsty lawyers, back off! -waves a broomstick-

* * *

_Hate me_

_for breathing without you_

_I don't want to feel anymore for you_

"Like You'' Evanescence

* * *

Suddenly, it was alive. Aware. It did not know how, it just _was_. Thoughts, a concept so pleasing yet foreign, became its own. And that lead it to its next conclusion: it could feel.

Cold.

It was cold—that was the first thing it realized; a numbing chill that carved itself deep into its bones.

It quivered. Did it…even have bones?

_What…am I?_

**Darkness.**

Darkness? Was that it? Did that explain the infinite blackness that swallowed everything in its depths, swallowed it-self? Could it merely be prisoner of a world robbed of…it did not know. Something not dark.

**The opposite side of darkness.**

It shuddered.

Or was _it_ the darkness?

That was likely. It did feel…empty. Emptiness was sad. Excruciating. The new feeling was upsetting and it knew, _knew_, that it did not particularly like that emotion. There was another sentiment that it sought to experience though it had never felt it before…hap…piness?

That was it. Emptiness brought the really bad feeling—sorrow, so what could bring joy?

Then it knew…comprehended.

It wanted to _be_.

And for some reason it did not _know_, it understood it had only to explore it-self for the answer. For there were others, those that long ago became a part of_ it_—who could bestow what it desired…

…wholeness.

They were simply parts of it-self that had not awakened when it did—when it had been born.

For them it would be rebirth.

They were the key.

And so it reached inside it-self and released them from the impediments of nothingness, the eternal creature that lurked in this realm and still possessed a sort of hold on_ it_ and in turn, _them_. It and they would never truly be something. _Someone_.

But their nothingness was different. It knew that. Unlike _it_, they possessed the sort of freedom it desired, thirsted for.

It.

That was an appropriate name for it-self. It.

It. It. It. It.

And they would be the Others.

It sent _them_, to the Other Place where it was never before allowed to venture to in its entirety—only in pieces.

**The Realm of Light.**

Pieces similar to those he now called the Others, the other parts of it-self. It was their world in a way, in any case.

They would go and they would _be_ so it could _be_.

And then it would no longer be _it_.

* * *

When Axel awoke, the first thing that greeted him in consciousness was a horrendous headache. It attacked him as soon as the darkness behind his closed lids was replaced with the brilliant glow of the morning sun.

Squinting, he groaned and sat up. When his mind had cleared some, he realized with some irritation that he was sitting on the pavement next to an intricate streetlamp in some town he didn't recognize. No one was currently outside and no lights shone from within the windows in the stone faces of the russet homes. It was still early, and the whole town was apparently still venturing the pleasant land of dreams.

Confused and slightly irked with the throbbing in his head, the redhead tried to make some sort of sense with his surroundings, surroundings that were unnaturally welcoming and warm compared to the…darkness.

He shook his head to clear more of the fogginess there and looked around.

Olive plants spilled down from strategically placed window ledges and from the top of dimmed signs, and though it wasn't exactly like one of those freakishly cheerful towns with townspeople who wore excruciatingly wide grins full of blinding perfect teeth, it did possess the kind of serenity that was hard to come by—there were cute bushy-tailed squirrels smiling at him from the iron street signs, for crying out loud! He hadn't the slightest clue where he was at the moment, or what he had been doing for that matter before he fainted…or fell asleep or…something.

His mind drew a complete blank.

He frowned.

Come to think of it….he didn't even know _who _he was! When that thought settled into his cloudy mind like grains of sand in still water, he groaned inwardly. To hell with _where_ he was, _who_ the heck was he?

"_Axel, don't you dare tell me if I 'Got It memorized' again!''_

"Okay…where did** that** come from?'' he asked aloud as he stood up, dusting himself off.

_Axel_? Was that supposed to be him? His frown only deepened in thought. Even though at the moment he couldn't be entirely sure, the name felt right, familiar on his tongue as if it belonged there when he said it aloud—besides, he figured that the name was kind of cool…it reminded him of fire. He liked it.

''Axel'' he said again, flexing his gloved lank fingers as he studied them.

But who was the voice in his head? It could have been someone he couldn't remember, a boy that he may have been friends with a long time ago, which would probably explain why it felt like looking at an old faded photograph whenever he tried to contemplate the memory. He hoped to God it wasn't his lover. He wouldn't take kindly to finding out he was gay.

_Got it memorized_? Hmm—maybe he said that often…

Axel shrugged, not particularly caring about that specific detail. At least he knew his name. He could live with that until he worked to fix the problem with his growling stomach. He patted it affectionately.

"Don't worry pal, we'll find something'' he said aloud.

"Race ya!''

He looked up to see two girls bolting from the open door of their home ahead of him and disappear down the road under a bridge where the coming of a train could be heard, its engines seemingly signaling the start of a new day. Their mother appeared shortly after them with a black pompous cat strolling by her feet with a twitching tail, oblivious to her and everything else it deemed insignificant.

Following their example were other townsfolk emerging from their homes to carry out their daily routines. No one appeared to have taken notice of him in their bustle, or if they did, they didn't care to show it.

He wondered vaguely if anyone was on their way to a food joint as he groaned again in hunger. His stomach had attacked him again.

Wasn't there a saying that went something like ''When in doubt, do as others do'' or something along those lines?

He couldn't remember where he had heard that before, but he figured that it had to be about right. If he followed someone around long enough, he was bound to find something to quiet his frustrated stomach.

And _then_ he could work to find the lost pieces of himself.

Of Axel.

...

Xemnas and Xigbar and Xaldin.

Vexen.

Lexaeus.

Zexion and Saix.

Axel and Demyx.

Luxord.

Marluxia and Larzene.

And number thirteen, Roxas.

They were the others—the other pieces of _it_, of darkness and of nothingness. Thirteen pieces of nothing were still nothing.

They were all connected: the nothingness and _it_, the darkness. Even though the Others were now in the realm of the Undark, the Other Place or the…Realm of Light, It could still feel the very edges of their consciousness with its entire being. And in turn, the Others would be able to feel _it._

Feel.

The idea that it _could_ feel was still very…intoxicating.

Yes...

More.

And It wanted more. Much more.

It would obtain _that_. What It needed to really exist, to truly _be_. To walk in the realm of the Undark.

**A body.**

And only after that would it work to gain something more—something the Others themselves wanted. It would wait here in the darkness, in it-self—until the Others remembered who they were. It would give them that at least. For after _that_, they would serve their purposes. They had had their chance at life. Now it's turn had come.

And when it was whole, the Others would once again become a part of _it. _Back to the Ashes.

It wanted to laugh at that, and it almost did.

Almost.

* * *

**A/N: **_Yay! I feel great—if there's any mistakes now I definitely don't have an excuse for it seeing as I used Word -woots really loud- I hope I portrayed the 'Awakening of Darkness' pretty well. I'm going to do research on all of the Organization members so I can get their characters just right. Sora, Riku and Kairi will definitely be making an appearance._


	2. Chain of Memories

** From the Ashes**

**Crystaldaggerz**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

_Fall into sleep! Fall into me!_

_Hang onto a dream that nobody wants_

_Nobody cares anymore!_

''Fall into sleep'' Mudvayne

* * *

The water was….beautiful. It was a clear blue that sparkled like jewels wherever the beams of light spilling from the clouds caressed it. The roar of the waves crashing at his feet and the calls of the sea birds floating on air coaxed him to slumber, but he resisted that temptation.

He liked the sort of…peace he felt here, that wrapped itself around him like a warm security blanket. Although he only knew his name, Saix, he knew deep down that this was the only kind of serenity he had ever experienced in his life.

It was this knowledge that made him somewhat wary of trying to connect his lost chain of memories, of discovering who exactly _Saix_ was—he understood that somehow he had been granted a second chance in life.

It was possible that in uncovering the truth of himself, he would once again fall back into those old pools of failures that had drowned him once before. He would waste this brand new opportunity at life.

_But…_

But those who had no knowledge of their history were doomed to repeat it.

Saix sighed as he carefully removed his boots and tucked them neatly underneath his arm. He slowly walked down the length of the beach, savoring the taste of salt on his tongue and cherishing the chill of the waves as it licked the soles of his feet before receding back into sea.

If anything, he would thoroughly enjoy _this_ moment.

...

''Thanks. I hope I can see your pretty face around here soon''

''Ditto'' the girl answered, cheeks reddening slightly before continuing down the road.

Axel grinned to himself and eagerly rubbed his hands together as he took in the sight before him; a plethora of round tables dotting the sandy beach with a wide variety of waitresses waiting them. The teasing aroma of pizza wafted to his nose and his stomach almost flipped in joy.

No…wait…yeah, it most _definitely_ did flip.

Everything sealed, he walked down into the sea of hot sand and mildly regretted wearing a black cloak, his overly dramatic stomach stealing away most of his attention.

He found a vacant spot under the shade of a leaning palm, the ample leafy arms reaching out to the ocean beside him. An army of gulls landed near his table and made a meal of any and all scraps of food, for them treasure, caught in the sand. He made a note to throw a cup or a utensil at the vociferous birds as he striped off his maddening cloak and tossed it over the back of the other chair.

Feeling slightly better, he rested his chin in his palm and closed his eyes against the glare of early afternoon. He gradually relaxed and allowed the surrounding sounds to engulf him and gently lull him until eventually his mind drifted away...

''_You know, one day you're going to burn yourself with all of that fire…''_

''_Oh? How much do want to bet that you'll get burned before I do, smartass?''_

''_I dare you''_

''_Double dog dare me and you got yourself a deal, kid''_

''Helloooo. How may I help you today…_sir_''

A pair of golden eyes with all the intensity of the sun beating down on his neck greeted him as he slowly opened his own.

''Sir? Exactly how old do I look?'' he mumbled halfheartedly as he massaged his temples.

_What was that? _he thought wonderingly. It felt like a dream within a dream…a lost memory…

Who _was_ he?

''Whatever…just tell me what you want'' she answered, irritation dripping heavily from each word.

The red head raised his head to fully look at her, his troubles momentarily forgotten and arched a fine brow.

''Careful. With an attitude like that, I just _might_ forget to give you a tip.'' He grinned as he lightly tapped his temple. ''Got it memorized?''

She gave him a look as if she was swallowing a large order of venom through a straw. To say she was experiencing a bad day would be the equivalent of saying that the meteor that hit the earth 64 million years ago _surprised_ the dinosaurs. So she was more then a little sour, which could rightly be justified.

But she _did_ need that tip. Swallowing her malice with great difficulty, she forced herself to smile, but it felt more like a shark grin. _Just great..._

Axel laughed.

''Do I get a 'Good afternoon?''' he asked cheerfully, clearly amused. Too cheerfully.

''What would you like?'' she asked again in false cheer after a short pause to get a hold on her temper. She decided to allow his last remark to slide.

He sighed stridently and tipped his chair back in thought.

''Three large pizzas'' he answered finally. ''And a large Coke''

''What kind of toppings?''

''Surprise me''

The waitress raised a dainty brow as she looked up from her notepad but broke into an award-winning smile.

''Of course! Thank you, sir''

She bowed her head and left him.

_I'll_ surprise _you alright_…

………………

She slid the sheet of paper across the counter to Edgar, a wide man with an even wider smile, when she made it to the kitchen. His bright blue eyes bounced over to her as she sat herself on the stool before him and rested her chin in her hand, elbow propped on the wooden counter.

''Kinuhi! How are you?!'' he boomed, wiping his large hands on the dingy material of his apron as he wobbled towards her.

''Edgar''

He took the paper between his sausage fingers and squinted dramatically at the fine lettering before rumbling with laughter.

'''Be creative?' What do you mean by that, little one?'' he bellowed, clearly amused.

Kinuhi closed her eyes and twirled some ebony locks around her finger before glancing impishly at the cook.

''I mean 'use your imagination''

………………

He awoke again to the sound of a tray being slammed against the table. Staying awake was simply too troublesome to be worth the effort. Three large pizzas stared up at him, their faces spotted with questionable vegetables…or fruits…or a sort of veggie/fruit hybrid. The dark haired waitress roughly slid the tall glass of Coke towards him; the ice swirling around dangerously before he caught it, and some drops falling cool against his skin. Axel shot her an irked glance before sipping the drink through his straw.

_Ah._

Refreshing.

He hesitantly eyed the toppings of the steaming pizza before him and sighed. He got what he asked for right? For some reason, he felt as if ordering ''Surprise Pizza'' was a norm for him. Maybe that was something he used to do…

Maybe.

''Don't expect anything from me'' he chided playfully to his waitress as he picked some sort of green alien spongy thing from the melted cheese. ''Except maybe a complaint, of course''

She narrowed her golden eyes before forcing another smile.

''_Sir_''

She bowed her head and left him once more.

He idly watched her as her dark hair disappeared behind a group of teenagers leaving their tables, wondering idly if all the waitresses there were ogresses like his.

Well, there was a way to deal with them…

Turning to his own plate, he brought a slice of the pizza before him to his mouth and bit into the cheesy goodness.

He hummed his approvable.

Fruit and vegetables…he had been right to order his ''Mystery Pizza''. So what if he was quite sure some of the things on the pizza were breathing and/or winking at him? It was spicy and sweet and cheesy and warm in his mouth and stomach.

Perfection.

The other two pizzas disappeared in no time at all and the cool soda followed their example not too long after.

He was refreshed, full and...

Smiling, he fished an ice cube from his glass and readily threw it in the mist of the crowd of birds fighting amongst themselves near his table. They cried out in bewilderment and spread out their pearly wings before fleeing into the breadth of sky.

…and happy.

After a moment of basking in the glow of satisfaction, he finally found the will and the energy to fish around in his pockets for his wallet.

His lank fingers met the material of the inside of his pockets. Slowly, panic began easing its way inside him.

The redhead checked his other pocket and even the back ones, though with vain hope. No munny…

''_Shit!_''

With the trepidation of impending doom, Axel scanned the beach for anyone who looked friendly enough to lend him some munny, but to no avail; no one there looked like they'd do a guy a favor: frigid old people with nothing else to live for, snotty kids, rowdy teenagers…where the hell was the decency?

Not that he was one to talk, but still…

A head of blue hair caught his eye and he squinted against the sweltering rays of sunlight to better see the face as it passed by an intertwined couple, his attention sparked for some odd reason.

Chilly crimson eyes. A scar.

His blood froze.

''_I hate that we have to suffer…why do we have to be…''_

''_That's what we are…we have no hearts…even though…''_

_What am I!?_

''_Don't do it Roxas, just forget about it! At least we have each other in this shit hole''_

''_That's not true. I would''_

''_Even though…''_

''_He was the only one I liked…''_

_Different._ He was different somehow…

''_Sometimes I do wonder how it'll be to feel…''_

To have a heart.

A nobody.

To not be a nobody.

Axel groaned and held his head in his hands as the memories rushed through his mind, the barriers holding them back mere debris caught in the waves.

_A boy with untamed brown hair smiled cheerily at him, his deep blue eyes like the sea and the sky…endless. He laughed and made a joke about his disguised sulking. Larxene casually made a crack about his 'manhood' earlier, and the boy wasn't about to let him forget it._

''_Burn baby!'' the redhead exclaimed, already hyped. The boy laughed and easily dodged the upcoming attack. ''You know, one day you're going to burn yourself with all that fire and I hope I'll be there to see it!''_

''_Silly…we don't have feelings. We're just…''_

''_Nobodies. I know''_

''_You know what, I miss pizza the most. Saix has got to have a ship shoved up his ass. He gets a heart attack whenever I bring some back—or whatever it is we nobodies get…'' he muttered sullenly, though a ghost of a smile could be seen on his lips. The boy laughed and playfully punched him on his shoulder, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement. ''I don't think you ever saw yourself eat…sometimes I have no idea how you stomach the stuff you put on your pizza'' _

'' _No one would miss me'' the boy said quietly, before turning his back on the entire Organization…on him. He watched as his small cloaked figure and honey brown hair disappeared in the darkness, despair beginning to suffocate him, tear at his…He sighed wearily. He had no heart. Axel frowned and looked down to the ground, defeated. ''That's not true'' he whispered solemnly. ''I would'' Didn't he know that?_

Roxas.

''_Look at what it's come to. I've been given all these icky orders to destroy you—if you refuse to come back with me''_

''_So ummm…What's our boss's name?'' _

''_X-E-M-N-A-S. Xemnas. Got it memorized?''_

''_You can tell her that yourself!'' Sora exclaimed with such confidence, he almost believed him. But he knew better. The blue eyes staring down at him were swimming with tears…such soothing eyes…so familiar. This boy was something…he reminded him of…_

Roxas.

''_You remind me of him''_

A nobody.

''_Well... that's what happens when you put your entire being into an attack. Not that nobodies actually have beings, right?'' he answered lightly as he felt himself fade away…_

Into darkness.

''Are you okay?''

Axel's eyes flew open as his mind dropped unexpectedly back to earth; the beaming sun, the whispering trees, those irksome seagulls, his golden eyed waitress staring at him with veiled concern. Away from painful memories, away from the immense hands of the darkness.

_Nobodies only pretend to have hearts._

''I-I have no munny''

Axel watched the blue haired man as he disappeared down the beach, a mere dot in the vast sea of sand.

_But…_

Even though he was so far…he felt foreboding in the very core of his being.

_Nobodies only pretend to have hearts._

His waitress sighed wearily and ran her fingers through her shoulder length hair, wrinkling her nose.

''So that tip business was just an empty threat? Figures'' she muttered. ''Come in the back with me. Edgar will have to deal with you''

Axel nodded vaguely and stood up, slightly shaking from shock. He gripped the table. He needed to get away. Far away. _Now_. He remembered exactly who that man was.

_Saix._


End file.
